Bookgasm: Surfing 101

Have you ever tried surfing? I haven't surfed in my life but it's part of my bucket list, and it's only a matter of time before I can achieve it. I hope in the near future though. Anyway, after reading the book, Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe, I have learned a few surfing lingos that I would like to share with you. Learn this and equip yourself with this vocabulary ammos before becoming a pro!

Disclaimer: All the words came from the book and was written by the author unless cited.

When a big wave us coming at a surfer, they can push their board underneath the water, and let the wave pull the surfer below it with less friction than getting hammered by the force of the top side of the wave.

Foamies are leftover waves that crash in closer to shore, not as clean, and have a lot more whitewater. Foamies are where most people learn to surf, as they are less powerful and don't require much paddling to get to. The consequences of falling are less severe also.

The leash goes around a surfer's ankle and keeps the board from escaping if the surfer falls off the board. A surfboard not connected to a surfer and propelling around free by the ocean can be dangerous. It would also require that the surfer return to shore to fetch the board, and then require the surfer to paddle all the way back out to make a second attempt.

Surfers waiting to catch their next ride sit in a loosely formed lineup where people "know" when it's their go. It's also the area where it's easier to wait and catch good waves. The lineup is not always based on who was their first. Sometimes seniority and/or localism come into play.

A riptide is a strong current that pulls away from the shore. Riptides typically occur along sand breaks, where and underwater sandbar breaches, and forms a strong seaward current that can take objects and people out to sea. In order for someone to get out of a riptide, they need to paddle sideways to exit the current, or risk exhausting themselves as they panic to swim to shore only to go nowhere.

"They usually think about a woman who still gets listed as one of the top surfer girls ever. They also think pint-sized."

"Gidget is the first thing that springs to my mind. In 1957 Austrian-born Holocaust survivor Frederick Kohner, titled his novel Gidget, The Little Girl With Big Ideas. His novel was based on the adventures of his daughter Kathy, her friends and the surf culture of Malibu Point.

In 1956 at age 15, her mother urged her to explore the outdoors, so Kathy bought her first surfboard for $15. She instantly fell for the lifestyle and pushed for acceptance from the other surfers, sometimes bribing her way to local status by trading her peanut butter sandwiches for chances to ride. Kathy hung out with notable surfers such as Miki Dora, Mickey Munoz, Dewey Weber, Tom Morey, and Nat Young, and was soon dubbed ‘Gidget’ a fusion of girl and midget." (source)